It was the best of times...blog turns two!

Thank you all who have supported the blog these last two years. To think that this project started as a collaborative tool to kick start ideas of features for online learning, that turned into a blog that has been read around the world and featured in a book. All I have to say is...epic...and thank you all for the support the last two years.

Since my graduation in June, I have been torn on the idea of whether or not to keep the Tales going.

As this was a testament to the fantastic time I had as a graduate student, and as such I have decided to leave it where it stands- as a marker of my small mark in the field of distance learning. The blog will continue to stand on blogger, but I am not planning to continue adding to this blog. I have started a new blog that meshes my traveling personal life and continue my educational anecdotes on technology and e-learning. I am currently researching different methods of effective communication using different digital discourse models. It is currently a private blog- but if I ever open up a new public blog- a link will be posted up here.

Thank you all

Tales from the Ex-Twitter-aholic

After watching Cnet's Loaded today (http://cnettv.cnet.com/loaded-yahoo-phone-home/9742-1_53-50074633.html) Natalie reported on something that I have been seeing among my students about Twitter and/or social networking. As Loaded reported, I do see Twitter more prevalent among users between the ages of say 27-40. On Loaded, Natalie was reporting from user submissions from the "next generation" on whether or not they are going to be as hot with Twitter as the current gen. One writer (of I believe age 17 or so) wrote:

"It is a social network for old people"

Facebook, even with its several revisions and annoying applications, still is dominating the social-communication-connection need for users. Largely because of its ease of access to friends and family; pictures, notes, messages, videos, etc. Whereas Twitter, is exclusively a portal for communication (with perhaps links to pics and videos) within 140 characters. I think that with the boom in popularity, Twitter has lost what it began to do.


The good out of Twitter I have to admit, is its attempt to get everyone into discourse. However, I myself Tweet less now because my Twitter followers are not really anyone who is in or around my life. I see this as a good and bad thing. Twitter still provides simple short mass communication, however with its non-grouped or non-networked approach the usefulness of Twitter depreciates. Even this Twitter-aholic has been kicking his habit as I find that using my blog is much more useful. More so now as I have switched over to Wordpress and use the P2 Theme interface which borrows the original concept of Twitter's interface (minus the 140 character mandate). This blog interface provides me with what my net-communications style is: fast, light, and easy navigation to my web content. Twitter, at the beginning started to do that for me as well as bring more traffic (marketing) to my Tales From the Grad School blog. But now, it seems like Twitter is a cliché and cheep trick that everyone is using, and thus even the marking idea is less valuable. Everyone from Ashten Kucher to CNN is Twitter-pated, and somewhat spoil my appeal for Twitter.

Coming back to Twitter: young vs old, I think this is about accurate. It will be interesting to see what studies will show out of this combat ground over net-communication dominance. For the older user demographic, having an all encompassing narcism network like Facebook or Myspace isn't really what this user demographic digs. Which is perhaps why Twitter is more appealing. Whereas a more youthful, tech savvy and open user, digs knowing and promoting everyone that is them. I fall somewhere in-between...the gray area of wanting to know what others are doing and putting out content that friends, family, or maybe a colleague or two would dig. I am still hoping for an OpenId approach to the web. Where everyone has one user name or ID that gets them anywhere they need. Thus eliminating the segregation of social networks. Rather, you bring your grouped networks with you. And have the power to control what everyone or anyone can or can not see online.

Twitter-a-holic Review: Mac Desktop Apps

Twitter-a-holic Review: Mac Desktop Apps- through trial and error...a lot of trial and error

If you have been following my Twitter, then undoubtedly you have been reading the constant discussion and links about Twitter apps for the Mac. This started when I fell in love with Safari 4 beta and waved goodbye to TwitterFox, a FireFox add on. This set me on a crusade to try and find the ultimate Twitter app.

TwitterFox (Free, requires FireFox)

A simple Windows or Mac add on that

is used within FireFox. Nothing fancy, easy to use and gets the job done.

Twidget (Free, Requires Mac OSX)

If you are looking for a quick way to update your Twitter, this OSX Dashboard widget is really designed for the light and sporadic Twitter user. You don't get much of anything out of your Twitter timeline so if you have a lot of Twitter followers you read- this will drive you nuts. But if you need to Tweet fast- it works.

Twitterriffic (Free w/ads, $15 w/o ads)

$14.95 to buy unlocked, but can be used free with ads. I like Twitteriffic's clean and small desktop footprint. But I don't think it is worth the price. A lot of the free apps do what Twitterriffic does and then some.

TweetDeck (Beta) (Requires Adobe Air)

Requires installation of Adobe Air and bestow the "TFGS Twitter Power-User Choice Award." For some reason my experience gave me the impression that TweetDeck could bench press Twitter, it is a strong app. Its multi column design allows for the user to separate who they follow into groups. Which if you are a power Twitter-er, helps you see your followers in different time-lines.

Nambu (Beta) (Free)

This app gets the "TFGS All-Around Twitter Choice Award." I used this app for quite awhile and contributed feedback often. To be blunt it is; free, powerful, and awesome! It has the column view that TweetDeck has as well as its own status bar icon. What I love about it is that it looks at Twitter like a mail box and feels like I was a Mac Mail for Twitter. You can pretty much do anything within Nambu and I felt like I really didn't have

to use the Twitter web site ever agian. You can also link you Tr.im and Pic.im account to it (no TwitPic support yet).

As Nambu says, it is a "Real Beta" (not a Google definition of Beta) and they are constantly looking for feedback to make Nambu better. It is full of features and this app is constantly getting tweaks- it is perhaps the best supported app I have tried.

Syrinx (Free)

It was the first app I tried that had a great threaded disscussion ability for Tweets. It is like a combination of Nambu and iLounge. Syrinx is a happy medium for twitter users. I would recommend it for the Twitter-er who is a light or moderate user of Twitter.
But this Grad Student much prefers Nambu over Syrinx.

Lounge (Beta) (Free during Beta)

Developed from one of the top selling Twitter apps in the iTunes app store, this free (during beta) desktop app is pretty good. I liked it and for me it felt like a more graphical version of Nambu. If it stays free, I think it will probably trump still Syrinx for my award of "TFGS Best Beginning Twitter-er Award"

EventBox (Limited Free: MacHeist, $15 during Beta)

I got a free version of EventBox through MacHeist. This app's slogan is "Pack your social networks in a box" and I think it is accurate. If you want to monitor your Twitter, Facebook, Google reader, and more from one screen this app will do it. It is unfriendly and provides users with options. It is very Nambu like in design but what the UI is slightly better as it lays out Tweets in speech bubbles like iChat (a preference to this Grad Student). This app gets the "TFGS Social Network Butterfly Award."

Tweetie (Free with ads, $20 w/o ads)

Let me begin by saying I currently use Tweetie, love Tweetie, and live Tweetie even with ads. The ads are really not obtrusive and are far and few between in your Twitter time line. With that said, this app is smooth, graphically awesome, and easy to navigate. Like Nambu, I feel like I never have to go to the Twitter web interface ever again (except for deleting a wrong Tweet). It offers a drag-and-drop Twit-pic support and a OSX quickview for pictures sent in Twitter. If you are an avid Twitter-er and don't mind a few ads during your day that are Mac based (and honestly I've checked out a few because they are usually

pretty good) I recommend Tweetie. It recieves the "TFGS Best Overall Twitter App Award."

White Whale App Mentions:

NatsuLion (Beta) (Free)
A lightweight Twitter client has a good start but I felt was really lacking. Does have probably the cutest Twitter client out of all the apps out there. I would recommend this client for the light Twitter user who wants more that just Twidget.

TwitterPOD (Free)

Not one of my favorite choices for a Twitter app - in fact didn't like it at all!

I found it very buggy for me. And honestly- I didn't like much of it's UI, design, or options.

Twhirl (Adobe Air)

Didn't try it- so sorry no review here.

SpreadTweet (Adobe Air app or Browser based version)

Designed for the Twitter-er who Twitter at work. It looks like a Excel spreadsheet, but really its a Twitter app. It is an app and can be used in a browser via Java. Like Twhirl, I didn't really try it so no review here either.

Top 2 recommended Apps From the Grad Student

Happy Twittering to all! Don't forget to follow me and the TFGS (Tales from the Grad Student) on Twitter as @ajbarse

Twitterpated

Tales from the Grad is Still Kicking!!!
Thank you all who follow me on Twitter @ajbarse. With moving, graduating, and job hunting most of my Tales have happened in 140 characters or less lately. But I have some cool blog posts going to happen soon that will be looking at my teaching of E-learning and of course...Twitter.

Speaking of...

Twitter Effect- Now Main Stream?
Ok, so CNN and Ashton Kutcher are battling for followers on Twitter (*I shake my head here*), and everyone and their grandmother seems to have a Twitter these days. Yet, I still hear among the halls of WWU from some students and faculty:

"I get Facebook and all of those things, but I still don't get or why anyone Twitters"

In the Interwebs, there is an ungodly amount of discussion via social networks, mobile communications, and various social services. But Twitter, even now as main stream as it is, still has the bad rep by some as that annoying narcissistic status update site.

Why Twitter-a-holics?
For those still scratching their head on Twitter, the video "Twitter in Plain English" is a great review.

But really, as one of my professors said;

"But I really, REALLY, don't care to know what people are doing all parts of the day."

This graduate student even thinks Twitter has morphed beyond what my professor has said or as this video demonstrates (well, at least for some Twitter users). Basically Twitter is what you make of it. Yes for some narcissistic folk, it is a way so that every 20 minutes they can express what they are hungry for or why their significant-other gets on their nerve. But for others, normal productive Twitter-ers it is a business promotion, a social network, a micro-blog, a social bookmarker, a job networking opportunity...something productive within 140 characters.

Twitter 101
What outsiders might find frustrating about Twitter, is understanding how to read what seems to be a one sided conversation. Twitter Search (http://search.twitter.com/) is a great start if you are trying to find a specific user or conversation, and the site threads the discussions for you. But still, there are Twitter-isms that are needed to fully understand the Twitter-speak such as @ or #. There is even a Twitter lexicon being created which can be seen at the Twitter Dictionary (http://twittonary.com/). In short, if you really want to see Twitter as a mode of conversation and discourse, the various Twitter apps are the most effective way of understanding the stream that is Twitter.

For those who have followed me on Twitter...Yes the much waited Twitter app review is coming.

Twitter Effect Education Implementaiton
Everyday, e-learning instructors are trying to figure out how to build in good discussion online. For that matter, grounded classroom teachers are as well as @CPDubbleU mentioned to me via Twitter. And all the meanwhile, there are still the nay-sayers that say that Twitter and online discussion is not an effective tool for learning and e-learning is a "cop out" for education. This graduate student asks...can't we all just get along? In co-teaching CCE 518 this quarter (more on this to come), this graduate student decided to take a chance and build a discussion board protocol for Blackboard that utilizes discussion concepts being demonstrated by Twitter. Yes, I had my students try @Replying fellow students to "call them out." The effects of this protocol... to be continued.

Publishing of the Grad Student

Information Science Reference link will take you to the page with information on the text book I co-authored a chapter for. It is a pretty big text, with over 1000+pages and with "60 authoritative contributions by 75 of the world's leading experts in technologies for vocational training from 9 countries" (IGI-Global).



From the IGI Global website:

"The Handbook of Research on E-Learning Applications for Career and Technical Education: Technologies for Vocational Training
provides innovative research regarding important teaching and learning
issues in vocational education through an authoritative reference
collection by leading international experts. This Handbook of Research
offers academicians, practitioners, and researchers a comprehensive
look at various levels of career and technical programs that are
quickly advancing with technology.

Key Features:

60 authoritative contributions by 75 of the world's leading experts in technologies for vocational training from 9 countries

Comprehensive coverage of each specific topic, highlighting recent trends and describing the latest advances in the field 

More than 1,900 references to existing literature and research on technologies for vocational training 

A compendium of over 500 key terms with detailed definitions 

Organized by topic and indexed, making it a convenient method of reference for all IT/IS scholars and professionals 

Cross-referencing of key terms, figures, and information pertinent to technologies for vocational training "

http://www.igi-global.com/reference/details.asp?ID=34396

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ScribeFire- Blogging On-The-Fly

I have been looking for something that would make posting easier than signing into a new post on my blog and hitting copy and paste from a Pages document. Something free, fast, and easy.

Meet ScribeFire, a FireFox 3 add-on that allows users to breakaway from their blog's form web editor. So far, this graduate student has to admit- it's pretty intuitive and works well. What I like most about its location, it sits in the lower right hand corner of the FireFox browser. Users can have it split screen right in the browser for blogging on-the-fly. Especially useful for those who want to blog about a page or anything they just discovered on the web.
Users are able to easily embed photos you videos as well as upload (through API or FTP) photos to their post. If users have multiple blogs they write to, ScribeFire can have several blogs linked to it. For those who are customizing their blog with html, it provides you with the three typical views to a post; WYSIWYG, Code, and Preview view. Anything done in ScribeFire can be saved as a "note" in the add-on, published to drafts, or published directly to the blog host.

Bloggers, what are you using to write your blog? Post any recomendations on blog editors (apps or addons).

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